Selectmen aim to meet gun club on light proposal

Friday

Sep 13, 2013 at 2:00 AM

EXETER — Selectmen Chairman Don Clement called on Monday night for selectmen to invite representatives of the Exeter Sportsman's Club to appear at the board's next meeting to "talk about everything going on" at the gun club.

Jeff McMenemy

EXETER — Selectmen Chairman Don Clement called on Monday night for selectmen to invite representatives of the Exeter Sportsman's Club to appear at the board's next meeting to "talk about everything going on" at the gun club.

Clement's invitation comes after club members made a formal request to the town to install lights at their facility located off Portsmouth Avenue so they can shoot until 7:30 p.m., as their lease allows.

Club President Joe Kenick Jr. told the Exeter News-Letter last week that he previously turned down a request to bring the group's proposal to install lights at the club before selectmen because it is not required under the lease signed with the town, which owns the land.

"There's a lot of correspondence around the Exeter Sportsman's Club lighting. There's been a lot said on this. I have received several phone calls. I'm sure other selectmen have too," Clement said Monday night during the board's meeting. "There's been an article in the paper."

Clement mentioned the contaminated soil that was found on the club grounds along with a plan to build a berm to lessen the sounds of gunfire coming from the club.

"So my question to the board: Would it be a good idea? I think it would be but I'll let the board decide, to invite the sportsman's club to have a discussion," Clement said. "Just get a general update, have a good discussion between us and them, because we are the landlords."

In the News-Letter article, Kenick said club members are happy to comply with the terms of the lease, but he added some town officials have been hostile toward the group in the past.

If the town drags its feet on the request or tries to make club members do more than the lease requires, the Exeter Sportsman Club is prepared to file suit against the town, Kenick said.

Selectman Dan Chartrand said the board should put the topic on its agenda for discussion.

"If the sportsman's club would like to be here to participate that's great, if they don't want to be, that's good too," Chartrand said.

Selectman Matt Quandt asked whether the invitation should be put on hold until the club's lease-required appearance before the Planning Board on the lights proposal.

"I'm not trying to bring them in for us to approve or not approve their lighting," Clement said. "I just want to get in a very general discussion about all these issues."

Resident Mike Lambert stood up at the meeting and criticized Kenick for saying the club would file a lawsuit against the town if necessary.

"Me and a lot of other people are getting extremely tired of people and community members getting ready to sue the town at the drop of a hat," Lambert said.

He also questioned the percentage of members who live in Exeter. The lease requires at least 20 percent of club members be Exeter residents.

The News-Letter reported last week there are about 400 members, according to Kenick.

Lambert pushed the selectmen to get more information from club members before a decision is made on the lights proposal.

"I'd like to see a little more push back, but like anybody else, I'd like to know am I pushing back against 500 people, 300 people and where are these people from," Lambert said.

Selectman Frank Ferraro said regardless of whether people like the sportsman's club or not, they have a binding lease.

"There are requirements on the town and also privileges for the club," Ferraro said.

Lambert then said the issues with the club have been going on "forever."

Ferraro began explaining how dealing with the town's bureaucracy has slowed the progress of club projects, but Lambert interrupted him and said, "It's fear of being off putting of what I consider to be a small segment."

Ferraro then told Lambert he had interrupted him and Clement quickly brought the discussion to a stop.

The board is planning to invite the sportsman's club to its next meeting.

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